Messi, Ronaldo bounced from World Cup on same day
It was a bad day to be a GOAT.
Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were sent packing from the World Cup on Saturday, the sport's two megastars seeing their respective sides, Argentina and Portugal, fall in the round of 16.
Messi and the Albiceleste were felled, 4-3, by Kylian Mbappe and France, while Ronaldo's Selecao couldn't overcome a pair of Edinson Cavani goals en route to a 2-1 defeat against Uruguay.
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
The results could mean we've seen the last of the two at a World Cup; Ronaldo is 33, while his La Liga peer just celebrated his 31st birthday. It's certainly possible both could return in four years' time in Qatar, but at the very least, this is almost definitely the last time both will be at, or near, their peak on the grandest stage football has to offer.
Related: Messi's legacy is incomplete without the World Cup - but it's not his fault
Incredibly, despite their collective brilliance, neither has scored a goal in the knockout stages of the World Cup during their illustrious careers.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi combined have taken 48 shots in #WorldCup knockout games:
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) June 30, 2018
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Not a single goal between them. 🐐 pic.twitter.com/IeEwMml4t8
Some things just can't be explained.